Trail Bed & Tread Workshop - Keystone State Park

This two-day professional trail workshop led by Penn Trails focuses on a natural surface trail’s bed and tread planning, design and construction. The relationship between the trail’s intended use(s), the design parameters determined by use(s), the materials and construction techniques utilized to meet the use and design parameters, along with ongoing maintenance of the trail, will be covered providing participants both expertly guided classroom learning and hands-on experience.  

Anticipated curriculum:

1. Grade & Slope 
   • Managed Use and Design Parameters 
2. Erosion, Water, Obstacles and Drainage
   • Reversals, Swales & Dips & Turns 
3. Soil, Rock & Vegetation 
4. Natural materials for constructing trail bed and trail tread 
   • Aggregate materials
   • Techniques for stabilizing trail bed and trail tread 
5. Trail maintenance 
   • Best practices & scheduling 
6. Alignment, Flagging and Staking   

Day 1: Classroom instruction & field demonstration  

Day 2: Project site hands-on instruction

Come prepared to be outdoors whatever the weather, to get dirty, and to learn a lot!

The class is limited to 14 participants. Participants are responsible for their own transportation and arrangement of overnight accommodations. Cost of the workshop is $25, which will cover lunch and breaks each day and all materials. PLEASE REGISTER PRIOR TO 10/19.

There are several lodgings options available in nearby Latrobe or Greensburg (see the Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau for other choices):

Spring Hill Suites (Latrobe)

Courtyard by Marriott (Greensburg)

Or check out the possibility of camping, cottages, or cabins at Keystone itself!